Broken but Still Beating
by Maiko Hime
Summary: Annalisa had always loved stories. They had always been her one comfort despite her heart ailment.When death comes to her door she has the choice to give into darkness or to accept her fate and let what little hope she has left be the gift she leaves behind. Eventual OC/Bunnymund. OC will have characteristics of the Book's Mother Goose.
1. Prologue

~ Hey all. Thought I'd give a try at Rise of the Guardians! I love this movie! Its everything I always dreamed of as a child. Well...maybe not 6'1 Pookas but close enough LOL. Please R & R. This is going to be a bit on the dramatic side so get your tissue box ready!~

**Maiko :3**

(I do not own the canon characters only Annalisa!)

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><p><span><strong>Broken but Still Beating<strong>

**_Prologue_**

Books were always a good escape as long as you read the right stories that is. You had to read the right stories. If you read the right stories your whole life for a single chapter could be changed at least in your imagination. You could be someone else and be somewhere else doing something great. You could be a detective solving a mystery or a great warrior fighting a dragon. You could even be a princess and be waiting in tower for your one true love to come rescue. For a short time the darkness that was in your life could be held at bay and you could sit in a peaceful bubble of fantasy safe and dreaming.

Annalisa Dane had been diagnosed with a rare degenerative heart disease when she was twelve. Up until than she had been a normal bright, healthy, and happy child. Than that day she had been chasing her dog playing Frisbee out in her backyard in a grey winter day when she felt a pain and tightness in her chest. The next thing she knew she was waking up in the emergency room surrounded by nurses and doctors in a terrifying stark and sterile environment. After that came needles, wires, test after test, doctors, specialists, and consultations. Annalisa's world quickly became that sterile and stark environment and the sunshine and warmth that had been her life before seemed to start to fade. Instead of letting it fade as the doctors and nurses told her she had to start being responsible and being considerate of her health she refused to let all the rules and bonds hold her back completely. Her parents could give away her bike and her dog. They could keep her inside when everyone else went out for recess and P.E. but they couldn't take away her books.

Annalisa immersed herself in a world of fantasy to escape the pain that was threatening to consume her. She held the darkness at bay with fairies, dragons, gnomes, princesses, demons, heroes etc. Her health after a while stabilized and she was able to live albeit a safe, quiet, and scheduled life but a life none the less. Annalisa accepted her fate and was grateful for the time and health she had left. Up until she was eighteen she was content until she went into sudden and life threatening heart failure. She had been put on the donor list and after that it was a waiting game. There was less than a one percent chance she would receive a heart transplant and her time was running out. Through some sheer mericle she received a heart transplant.

Her life changed after that for the better. For the first time in a long time she was health and was able to do the things like run and walk for long distances without the restrictions of before. She could climb a whole flight of stairs on her own! Finally she was able to really live again. Moving out of her parents' house she attended college and had just finished her two year degree when she had another fainting spell while out shopping with friends. Rushed to the hospital Annalisa received news that would destroy everything inside of her. Despite the required medicines and following ever rule and protocol of being a donor recipient her body was rejecting the heart transplant.

Darkness consumed her world and Annalisa felt what life she had left in her fading slowly. The doctors gave her a few months at best. Here she was at twenty-three with having fought for over ten years with nothing to show for it. Annalisa shut herself off from the world and let herself sink into a deep depression. Disability and money from her parents paid for her utilities and rent but she refused to leave her apartment. Her mother came over once a week to clean her apartment and do her laundry. A neighbor did the grocery shopping for her. Annalisa felt like a ghost already just existing. Day in and day out she often stayed in her apartment staring at the sky. It wasn't until her neighbor who brought her usual week of groceries accidentally left her daughter's birthday gift behind did a small amount of light come back into her life. Her neighbor had bought her a fairy tale book a typical classic of general child hood stories. Annalisa had seen its gilded gold cover sitting on her counter. Curiously she picked it up and seeing the title she gingerly opened it. Annalisa hadn't touched a book in weeks. Instantly the words wrapped around her like a safety blanket and she was able to escape her world of darkness, pain, and listlessness.

Slowly over the course of a few days after reading the tales Annalisa found the strength to accept the inevitable that she was going to die. A peace found her and her soul was finally able to rest with that knowledge. That being said she decided to make the most out of the time she had left. She started visiting her parents every Sunday for dinner. Slowly but efficiently she was able to do little chores around her apartment. Annalisa even volunteered to read to the young children at the library once a week and help with their arts and crafts after. It was something to keep the little toddlers busy. Being around their warm and vibrant little bodies Annalisa found rejuvenation and serenity. What she didn't know is that she was going to find not only her true destiny but also her true love.


	2. Chapter 1

~So Pooka's in some mythological stories are shape shifters and they are fae often taking the forms of sheep, goats, dogs, or rabbits. So why couldn't they change into a human form. Just an idea. ~

*Maiko* :3

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><p><span><strong>Broken but still Beating<strong>

**_Chapter One_**

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><p>Annalisa's mornings were always the worse for her. She woke up and instantly had to take her medications. The medications that were only prolonging a fading life but she took them anyways. She even took something for her depression to help the day go by easier. Next she would shower and change her usual routine taking a couple of hours where before it had only taken a half hour. She had to cut off her once waist length blonde hair to a short bob because even hair care took too much effort. She also got cold easily so often times she wore an oversized sweater and her tights. Since it was early spring and still a bit cool no one thought otherwise of her clothing.<p>

Then she would take a taxi to the library often times once or twice a week so far to help with the children. There she had met Sophie and her older brother Jamie. The two siblings were very unique and quite sweet. Annalisa loved Sophie instantly the first time she had met her. The girl often had on fairy wings mixed with polka dots and stripes in her wardrobe. Her blonde hair was always in disarray much to her mother's dismay.

One evening Jamie and Sophie's mother was running late picking them up and the library was closing at five. She had met their mother, Elizabeth, a few times and Annalisa offered to sit with them in the park nearby while they played and watch them until their mother could get there. Annalisa sat on a park bench watching Jamie pretending to be a monster and chase his sister growling. Sophie's high pitched giggles rang out and Annalisa smiled envying the girl's energy. She pulled out her cell phone to check for any text message from Elizabeth hoping their mother wasn't too far off because she would have to take her evening medication soon.

"Ms. Annalisa!"

Annalisa jumped hearing Jamie's shouts and promptly dropped her book. The boy came running up to her with wide and scared eyes. "What's the matter?"

"Sophie! She disappeared!"

"What do you mean she disappeared?" Annalisa asked concerned

"Well she was here one minute and then the next, POOF, she's gone!" Jamie said dramatically throwing his arms up.

Annalisa sighed standing "I doubt she just disappeared she probably just wandered off. Come on we'll find her." She said walking forwards and Jamie followed her.

E. Aster Bunnymund often times when he was on his rounds would stop and check on Sophie and Jamie. True it was coming close to Easter but since he was nearby he stopped and checked on his little ankle biters. They were playing in a park watched by an adult he hadn't seen before. However they were content laughing and doing what children normally do. Sophie perked up as if sensing him grinning she took the moment Jamie wasn't paying attention to make a mad dash for his hiding place. Bunny rolled his eyes knowing it would be worse if he tried to run away. He had a few minutes he could visit with her.

Sophie came crashing through the foliage and he swept her up into his arms. "Hey there kiddo."

"Bunny! I missed you!" Sophie giggled hugging the large rabbit.

Bunny chuckled hugging her back "I missed ya too kiddo. I believe ya need to be gettin back to your baby sitter fore she starts to worry for ya." He said

"Ms. Annalisa! She's really nice." She said completely missing his point but what could you expect from a five year old?

"Hm. I bet come on kiddo let's go." He said starting to lead her out of the foliage and onto a walking and bike path that went around the park and border lined the woods.

He wasn't particularly worried about anyone other than children seeing him. Adults couldn't see a six foot, shape shifting, and boomerang toting Pooka. At least most adults.

"Bunny!" Bunny heard Jamie's yell of excitement and the freckled faced brunette made a mad dash towards him.

Bunny sighed rolling his eyes setting Sophie down. "Hey mate. I can't stay. I just came by to check on ya. I got work to do back in the Warren."

"Oh yeah it's almost Easter in a few weeks." Jamie said remembering

"Chocolate and eggs!" Sophie squealed

"Jamie! Where did you go?" Both Sophie and Jamie froze hearing Annalisa approaching

"Easy kiddos she won't be able to see me." Bunny said

Annalisa felt her chest constricting as she walked after Jamie who had took off sprinting all of a sudden down a wooded trail. Her breaths were coming out quicker and she was feeling a little lightheaded. She was going to kill those kids if she got ahold of them and Elizabeth was going to owe her big time. She heard giggling and Jamie's shout of excitement. Annalisa gave herself a little push knowing she could rest as soon as she saw them. She rounded a bend in the little trail seeing them but also seeing something strange. It was a large shape kind of blurry and grey? She thought maybe the lack of oxygen to her brain was affecting her vision maybe. She kept coming forwards watching Jamie and Sophie watching her curiously standing in front of the blurry image that seemed to be shimmering now as she neared. Annalisa blinked a few times and before she knew it there was literally a giant rabbit standing right in front of her.

Bunnymund watched the young adult woman coming towards them. He could see she was pale and petite with literally almost white blonde hair and soft blue eyes. She wore a dark blue overly large sweater and black tights. She walked barely making a sound and he wouldn't have heard her except her breathing was labored and there was a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead. Obviously the young woman was not well. Bunnymund watched as she neared and he saw her squint and his heart lurched. Her squinting turned into a realization and shock as she stopped suddenly gaping. She could see him.

"Ms. Annalisa…are you okay?" Jamie asked concerned

"Um….I….oh my god." She choked still staring at the rabbit in shock

Jamie's eyed widened as he realized she could see Bunny. "Ms. Annalisa can see Bunny!" Sophie said excited

Annalisa had been through a lot in her short time on earth but the one thing she had never been through was seeing a six foot, humanoid, boomerang toting rabbit. Her chest constricted painfully and her breath caught in her throat suddenly. Annalisa gave a strangled cry grabbing her chest and falling to her knees.

"Ms. Annalisa!" Jamie cried in fear

Bunny swallowed hard hearing the woman gasping for breath and his large ears picked up an odd sounding heartbeat. She took gaping breaths sounding like she couldn't get any oxygen. Sophie started to cry and Jamie trembled with wide eyes not knowing what to do. Bunny did the only thing he could think of to do. He used his powers that few knew about, not his powers of being the Easter Bunny, but his powers from his Pooka heritage he shape shifted. His image blurred and he rushed forwards grabbing the young woman around the shoulders. "Hey there Sheila! Can you hear me? Hang in there!"

Annalisa heard a deep accented voice yelling at her and strong hands encircling her shoulders. She looked up with blurry eyes seeing a man with shaggy grey blue hair and dark green eyes. He was quite handsome in a rugged sort of way. Any other time and she might have mooned over his accent or his rugged good looks but at the moment she felt like she was dying. Annalisa took a few deep breaths trying to calm down.

"My. Heart." She managed to choke out

Bunny looked at her cocking his head and he remembered the soft and uneven pattering of her heartbeat. The woman was sick it seemed like and it had something to do with her heart. "Aye. Hold on Sheila I can help ya." He said and without a second thought scooped her up into his arms. She was as light as feather and ridiculously tiny.

Annalisa didn't even have the strength to put up a fight as the very tall and lanky man hoisted her into his arms as if she weighed nothing. She heard Sophie crying in a garbled noise and heard Jamie shouting. "J-Jamie…Sophie." She choked trying to move

It had been thousands of years since Bunny had used his human form. He felt awkward but was quickly becoming accustomed to this form. He wasn't as fast or agile in this form but it was a heck of a lot better than a six foot rabbit. Jamie and Sophie followed him worriedly. Jamie was trying to calm and shush his crying sister as they walked after him back into the foliage.

"They're all right Sheila ya rest now ya hear?" Bunny prompted.

Annalisa couldn't manage a reply before darkness consumed her.


	3. Chapter 2

~Thank you so much for the reviews, favs, and follows! I appreciate it!~

*Maiko* :3

**_I do not own ROTG and all respected characters_**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

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><p>Annalisa woke up in the hospital. It wasn't an unusual place for her to be she had woken up here before. Letting her consciousness adjust to her surroundings she found herself hooked up to the traditional heart monitor and respiratory monitor. Taking a few deep breaths she reached for the button on the side to raise the head partition of the bed. She looked around recognizing the local hospital for all its lack of grandeur and dreary stucco surroundings. There was a white curtain separating her from the other bed in the shared wing of the emergency room.<p>

"Hey there Sheila." A deep accented voice cut through her thoughts

Annalisa turned her gaze to the far corner which was shadowed by darkness. She saw a figure standing there and she swallowed remembering that same accented voice from before. Did she really see a giant rabbit earlier? Was she finally developing some sort of psychosis to go along with her terminal illness? Maybe it had just been a figment of her imagination and it had just been a person.

"U-um….who are you?" she asked her voice meek and soft hoping she wasn't speaking just to a figment of her imagination.

The figure emerged showing a tall, sinewy, and lithe gentleman. He had the same rugged face as the man who helped her and she remembered those forest green eyes. His shaggy grey hair framed his face which held open concern as he stared at her. He was wearing the strangest clothing she had ever seen. It was some sort of forest green tunic with leather cuffs on his ankles and wrists and a leather strap across his chest. Another thing was he was barefoot looking him over she thought he looked like some sort of forest nymph.

"You can call me Aster." He offered giving her a crooked smile

She swallowed "Okay. Am I dreaming?"

"Afraid not Sheila." He said approaching her bed. Annalisa grabbed the blanket draped over her clutching it tightly her eyes widening as he approached her.

"Whoa! Calm down its okay. I'm not going to hurt ya. I helped ya remember? Ima friend of the little ones."

Bunny could see she was terrified and who wouldn't be seeing strange manafter an episode like she had. Her wide blue eyes regarded him a moment before she let out a soft breath relaxing she put a shaky hand to her forehead. He hoped being here to checkon her wasn't going to upset her more.

"Are Jamie and Sophie all right?" She asked softly at the mentioning of the littleones

"Just fine Sheila. They're with their mother as we speak at home. They were just scared for ya is all." Bunny explained

"That's good. I'm glad they're okay. Who are you exactly? How do you know Jamie and Sophie?"

Bunny chuckled rubbing his head looking down at his bare feet. "Well ya see Sheila…."

"Why do you keep calling me that? My name isn't Sheila." Annalisa said curious

"Oh um...it's just a name I call ya know girls. It's part of the Aussie thing. As for who I am that's a bit complicated ya see." Bunny explained

"You're Australian? Well I guess that explains the accent." Annalisa said softly sitting up on her own wincing slightly. After every attack her whole body was sore.

"Ya know ya should be restin." He said

"Please. Tell me who you are. Please tell me you're not really a six foot rabbit." Annalisa said hopeful

"Bullocks. Well ya see. That's the part that's complicated." Bunny explained

Annalisa let out a sigh "So you are a six foot rabbit? That's it I'm going crazy."

"It might seem that way but this is all real." Bunny said trying to explain to her

"Uh huh. Sure. I'm going to close my eyes and you're going to be gone."

Bunny sighed crossing his arms "All right if ya say so."

Annalisa glared at him before shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath mentally counting to ten before opening them again. Her breath caught in her throat realizing he was still there. He quirked an eyebrow smiling.

She stared at him "Well I guess if I'm going to go crazy there are a lot worse things I could see than a guy who sounds like Hugh Jackman and a large rabbit."

"I'm tellin ya Sheila ya ain't crazy. Why won't you believe me?" Bunny asked irritable

At that the curtain slid back revealing a doctor. Bunny immediately quieted as Annalisa looked at the doctor than back to Bunny standing in the corner. The doctor was her cardiologist surprisingly Dr. Sumter. He was about thirty-eight with greying red hair and brown eyes. He was short and stout with a slightly round midsection. He currtently looked at Annalisa with a disgruntled look.

"Annalisa I thought I told you to take it easy." He lectured

Annalisa looked back at Dr. Sumter as Bunny stood there silent surprised the doctor didn't see him. "I'm sorry. Um..."

Dr. Sumter watched her glance back to the corner. He followed her gaze not seeing anything in particular interesting over there. "Annalisa are you all right?"

Annalisa blinked several times and sighed looking at Dr. Sumter once more. "Yes. Fine for the most part just a little lightheaded."

"To be expected. Here lie still let me listen." He said putting his stethoscope on and placing it on her chest. Bunny watched curiously still not making a move or a sound.

Annalisa took a few deep breaths holding them then releasing them as he instructed. He sighed reaching forwards and measuring her pulse for a full minute before taking his stethoscope off and looking at her with a grim expression.

"I want to admit you." Dr. Sumter said honestly

"No." Annalisa snapped

"Annalisa we've been over this. If you had another collapse we agreed you would be admitted." Dr. Sumter argued

"I said no. I'm not going to spend the rest of what little of my life I have left in here." Annalisa said angry

"But you don't understand Annalisa at least you would be comfortable and I could take care of you properly." Dr. Sumter said refusing to give up

"Dr. Sumter is it going to save my life? Are you going to magically be able to fix my heart?" Annalisa asked looking at him with a pointed stare

"Annalisa..." Dr. Sumter said before sighing

"Well?" Annalisa snapped

"No. We both know that."

"Than please discharge me. I want to go home." Annalisa snapped.

"All right Annalisa. It should be another hour or so and I will get you out of here."

Bunny had heard the whole thing his curious glance becoming horrified as he listened. The woman in front of him was dying from some ailment with her heart. That was why she had collapsed and why she was in the hospital. Dr. Sumter looked at her monitor and looked at her I.V. bag before grabbing her patient chart and writing a few notes before leaving without another word.

Annalisa's expression was vacant and void as she stared at the wall with little or no emotion. Bunny honestly didn't know what to do so he cleared his throat.

"Oh. You're still here?" Annalisa asked glancing at him

"Ya. I probably shoulda left but I..well..." He paused not knowing why he stayed

"Dr. Sumter can't see you so I guess its true you aren't real." Annalisa said

Bunny sighed hard coming over to her bed and looking down at her. "Big ones can't see me. Only little ones which is why its strange ya see me Sheila."

"Okay I'll play along. Why can kids only see you?" she asked

"Because they haven't lost their innocence. When they reach a certain age usually when they lose their last baby tooth they can't see me any more." Bunny said

"So now we're talking about teeth? Are you the Toothfairy too?" Annalisa joked smiling slightly

Bunny frowned "Look Sheila this isn't a joke! Yer ticker isn't workin right and ya can see me when ya shouldn't be able and yer crackin jokes. Sides ya got yer wires crossed if ya think Toothiana is a rabbit."

"What's a Toothiana?" Annalisa asked curious

"The Toothfairy." Bunny said with a sigh

Annalisa's bit her lip but couldn't stop the giggles that burst from her mouth. Bunny looked at her helpless as she giggled at him. He sighed defeated and glared at her.

"Fine Sheila don't believe me than! I've got better things to do than stand here gettin laughed at. Easter's right around the corner and I got eggs to paint." He snapped turning and walking away from her

Annalisa sat up looking at him "So you're telling me you're the Easter Bunny?"

"Yes. Crikey. E. Aster Bunnymund A.K.A Easter Bunny." He said irritated

Annalisa fell back into her bed laughing again "A-at least if I'm going crazy its fun!" She chortled

Bunny grit his teeth before tapping his foot on the ground and jumping into the hole that appeared. He was tired of the woman and her antics as he traveled back to her warren. Annalisa stopped laughing sitting up and looking at the direction he had gone surprised to see him gone. She sighed before lying back and looking up at the cieling trying to wrap her mind around what had just happened.


End file.
